


Right Person

by arimi_skywalker



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Drama & Romance, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 00:18:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10058630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arimi_skywalker/pseuds/arimi_skywalker
Summary: A few months after the events inWrong Number...





	

**Author's Note:**

> **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
> A/N: Thanks to [](http://silverdoll14.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://silverdoll14.livejournal.com/)**silverdoll14** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> _If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_
> 
> I said many times I didn't plan on writing anything else based on Wrong Number's AU, but I didn't stick to my word for a good reason: a friend's birthday.
> 
> This fic is for [](http://eve_aida.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://eve_aida.livejournal.com/)**eve_aida**. I'm a little late, since her birthday was a month ago, but I know she won't mind. Because she's awesome like that ♥ Hope you like it, dear. I put all my heart in this story, 'cause you're always there for me. Happy (belated) birthday!

**thu 13/10**  
---  
  
 

  **GAMER N™** \- 10:38  


**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 10:39  
You know you don’t have to do these things  
to catch my attention anymore

  
**GAMER N™** \- 10:41  
You’re coming tonight

 **GAMER N™** \- 10:41  
It’s not a question

 **MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 10:42  
:)

  
**GAMER N™** \- 10:42  
What does that mean?

 

 **MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 10:42  
It means you should calm down  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 10:43  
Everything’s going to be alright

  
**GAMER N™** \- 10:44  
Because you’re going to be there

 **MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 10:44  
:)

  
**GAMER N™** \- 10:44  
Humph!

  
  
When the music stopped, the audience was silent.  
  
Nino's dark silhouette stood up, and left the piano to walk to the front of the stage. There, he bowed, and the big semitransparent clothe that hid his identity softly waved. The audience stood up and burst with a loud applause. Some of them asked for more songs, but Nino had returned to stage twice after ending the concert. It was time to put a real end.  
  
Next to me, Ohno and Jun clapped so wildly that I could see Ohno's hands turning red. I, on the other side, clapped calmly with a proud smile on my lips, trying to control the swirl of feelings inside of me. Nino got that power, and it didn't work only on me. It worked on so many people that he was able to leave his boring job months before to work as a musician.  
  
"Your eyes give you away," Ohno whispered. "They're sparkling so much that you could light up this stadium just by yourself."  
  
I looked at my friend, and didn't need to say anything; we understood each other with just one look. I slipped away among the audience, and went through the long corridors of the stadium, towards the dressing rooms. Sneaking in them wasn't a problem since security staff knew me, and I decided to wait for Nino on the two-seater sofa he always used to compose or warm up his voice before concerts.  
  
I took my phone out of my pocket, and opened Nino's chat.

  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 21:54  
Your voice is pornographic  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 21:54  
I’m dying to see you.

 

I was breathing heavily, and my heart raced at a dizzy speed. No one ever made me feel what Nino did with his music; he touched my heart so softly that it made me shiver, and it awoke warmth inside of me that left me breathless. My legs trembled, my eyes clouded over, and it felt as if my heart wanted to jump off my chest. I fell in love with him a little bit more, if that was even possible.

 

   
**GAMER N™** \- 22:07  


**GAMER N™** \- 22:07  
Wait for me to go home together

  
  
Nino came into the dressing room, still holding his phone, and stopped on his tracks when he saw me. I stood up right away. I knew he didn't expect to see me. That's exactly why I was there. I wanted to see his eyes widening, and his lips opening in surprise. I smiled victoriously. He tightened his lips and closed the door behind him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, walking to the table in front of the sofa.  
  
He took off the dark vest he was wearing and hung it on a chair.  
  
"Praising the best musician in the country," I replied, following him with my eyes.  
  
"I think you came to the wrong place then," Nino took three different picks out of his pocket and left them on the table. "Sakamoto Ryuichi isn't here."  
  
I went around the table, staring at him.  
  
"But Ninomiya Kazunari, the mysterious guy, is here."  
  
Nino snorted.  
  
"I told you before not to call me like that," a smirk appeared on his lips, despite his words.  
  
"How should I call you then?" I asked, lowering my voice as I approached him. "The faceless genius? The musician who doesn't need to show his face in order to move a whole country to tears with his music?"  
  
"Great Nino, superior and gifted being, is fine," he turned to me, and I could see a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "Gifted in every sense."  
  
I stopped only a centimeter away from his face. I felt his heavy breath on my lips as he looked me in the eyes, tempting me to kiss him, challenging me to jump on him and make him mine right there. Nino perfectly knew how I felt after listening to his singing. He knew an electrical current would run throughout my body, and he knew how hard it was for me to control myself under those circumstances.  
  
"Oh, yeah?" I whispered against his lips.  
  
I reached out, and grasped the front of his pants. Nino gave a little jump and opened his lips, letting a small sigh out. I smiled triumphantly, and slowly moved my hand in circles, shamelessly touching him.  
  
"Indeed. You are very well-endowed, Ninomiya-sama," I chuckled.  
  
"I told you..." his voice sounded low and distracted.  
  
The triumphant smile on my face widened.  
  
"Your voice makes me guess you're pleased in my company," I squeezed him a couple of times.  
  
Nino sighed again, this time more deeply.  
  
"Shut up and kiss me," he demanded.  
  
"What if I don't want to?"  
  
Nino placed his hand on my nape, and pulled me closer. He kissed me slowly and breezily, tasting each movement, pressing his lips against mine in desire. I kissed him back just as eagerly, as I placed my hands on his hips to pull him even closer. I pressed his body against mine, making him moan against my lips. As we kissed, he hopped on the table, sitting down on it. He spread his legs, placed them around me, and trapped my waist so abruptly that I stumbled on my feet and almost fell on him.  
  
"You're getting eager," I chuckled amusedly as I caressed his thighs.  
  
"Shut up," he groaned and pulled me closer again to kiss me.  
  
I grabbed his thighs, and secured his legs around my waist before lifting him in my arms. Nino threw his arms around my neck as I walked to the sofa, where I sat down and placed him on my lap. I ran my hand through his legs and waist to his back, and gently caressed him as we kept kissing.  
  
I could spend hours kissing his lips and never get tired of it.  
  
"You were awesome tonight," I whispered, caressing his back.  
  
"Really?"  
  
Nino rested his forehead against mine.  
  
"Really, and I'm not the only one who says so. People love you."  
  
"Sometimes I'm not that sure."  
  
"Why do you say that?" I frowned. "You hold your concerts behind a giant veil, no one knows your face, and even so they stand up to clap and praise you. You move them with your music, Nino."  
  
"You only say that because you love me," he sighed, caressing my cheek. "The rest of the world doesn't love me. They don't like that I don't show my face."  
  
I held his face in my hands, and gently kissed his lips.  
  
"I've been to all your concerts, and I know what I saw. People end up in tears, and they stand up to clap so wildly their hands turn red. You know they always ask for more. No matter how many times you go back to stage, they always ask you to come out again. I'd say they do love you."  
  
Nino sighed again and slowly shook his head. He stood up from the sofa to grab a magazine that was lying on the table, and handed it to me. Then, he sat down by my side and leaned over to look among its pages.  
  
I watched in silence, and waited.  
  
"Read this," he said, tapping the paper.  
  
He was pointing an article.  
  
Ninomiya Kazunari, why doesn't he show his face?  
  
It was written by a famous music producer, whose name I knew very well. Nino told me about him many times. He asked readers if they'd ever wondered about the reason why Nino didn't show his face. His album covers were just plain colors that showed his name and the title of the work, he didn't appear on any television show, and a giant veil hanging on the ceiling hid him during his performances and concerts. No one knew his identity, and that producer tried to use it against him. He was trying to damage Nino's image by spreading distrust among the audience, taking advantage of his weekly section in that popular magazine.  
  
"This is all bullshit," I closed the magazine and threw it back on the table, away from us. "That guy is trying to take advantage of his reputation and the place where he works, but people know the truth."  
  
"People listen to him."  
  
"People listen to you too," I turned to fix my gaze on him. "Also, you don't need to use those dirty tricks. Your music reaches their hearts. You don't have the need to call on those low standard strategies like he does."  
  
"Sho, that guy is one of the richest men in Japan, and a well-respected producer," Nino closed his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Most likely, my days as musician have an end."  
  
I held his hand and moved it away from his face, interlacing our fingers. I held his chin with my free hand, and forced him to look at me.  
  
"You'll never stop being a musician. It's inside of you. You were born for this," I told him determinedly, since I was convinced of what I said. "That man is resentful. He made you an offer when no one knew you, and you rejected him. He's only trying to take his revenge on you, and people know it. They know what happened. No one made an official announcement about it, but you know the rumor is around. No one is going to believe him. People will believe in you. They will keep listening to your music and attending your concerts. They know your face is not important. They know that what's important is what's inside your heart, what you convey with your music and voice."  
  
Nino stared at me in silence.  
  
His eyes were sparkling.  
  
I placed my arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to me, placing my other arm around his waist. I held him so tight that I thought he'd complain in pain, or because I didn't allow him to breathe, but he was completely still, in silence. His shoulders started shaking, and that was when I realized he was crying. Both of us remained silent. I closed my eyes, and rested my cheek against the top of his head.  
  
"It's okay," I whispered. "Everything's going to be alright."  
  
He held my shirt with both hands, and hid his face against my neck.  
  
"When did you plan to tell me about this?" I asked without expecting a reply. "I'm not worried about that man. I know he isn't dangerous at all, but you've been suffering by yourself. How long?"  
  
"I'm fine," he replied in a broken voice. "I'm tense, that's all."  
  
"No, you're not fine. You're crying and shaking."  
  
"I'll be fine in a minute or two."  
  
I sighed, sad and frustrated, and moved him away to look him in the eyes. Nino quickly whipped his tears with the sleeve of his white shirt, leaving a wet and brown-colored trail, due to the remains of make-up. I held his face in my hands, and caressed his cheeks with my thumbs.  
  
"How many concerts do you have left?" I asked him.  
  
"I can't remember very well, but maybe two or three. I still have to visit Tohoku and Hokkaido."  
  
"Good. I'll go and see you, as usual. Then we'll go on a trip for a week. You and I. Together. We'll get away from Japan and our lives. Both of us need a break."  
  
"What about your job?" he asked, holding my wrists. "I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. Besides, I don't know if my manager has signed something for me when the tour is over."  
  
"My job is not a problem, they owe me some holidays," I replied with a relaxed smile. "As for your schedule, we can fix it right away. I'll call your manager."  
  
I took my phone out of my pocket, and dialed Nino's manager's number. I knew he was still in the stadium; probably in another dressing room, waiting to take Nino home, and tell him about next day's schedule. I asked him to come to Nino's dressing room when he had time, and he didn't even take five minutes to arrive. He thought something was wrong with Nino. When he calmed down, I explained the situation. I could feel he didn't like it. He had signed some performances to hold when the tour was over, and he said it was unprofessional to cancel them. Especially, when the reason was a leisure trip. I glanced at Nino. He was frowning and fidgeting in silence.  
  
"Okay, I think I have an idea," I said, thinking about how to fix the situation. "You don't need to cancel those performances. Nino will be there. In exchange, I only ask you not to sign anything else for the following days. Give him a week. He needs it."  
  
The manager looked at me, and sighed.  
  
"Alright," he agreed though he didn't look pleased at all. "It's kind of sudden, but Nino's well-being is important to me as well. I think I can manage to give him a free week."  
  
"Really?!" I exclaimed.  
  
Nino's manager nodded, making me excited.  
  
"Great!" I smiled and turned to Nino, holding his hand. "We're leaving. We're going far away. Just you and I."  
  
"Cuba."  
  
"Cuba?"  
  
Nino nodded eagerly. His eyes were sparkling, this time with happiness.  
  
"We're going to Cuba," I smiled, squeezing his hand. 

 

**fri 18/11**  
---  
  
 

 **MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 17:29  
At the airport. I’m in the check-in line  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 17:29  
I’ll save your place

  
**GAMER N™** \- 17:31  
Almost there

 **GAMER N™** \- 17:31  
Five minutes

  
  
After almost a whole day traveling, we landed in Havana deathly tired, but wearing a smile on our faces. Our travel package included airport transfer to our hotel, and a guide. I could speak some English, but neither Nino nor I could speak any Spanish, and the travel agency staff told us that many people in Cuba didn't speak any English. Also, our guide was Cuban, and I felt safer if we were with someone who knew the city.  
  
"I'm Alexey," a tanned guy who held a sign with our names written on it stretched out his hand as we approached him carrying our suitcases. "I'll be your guide for the next four days."  
  
"It's a pleasure," I said, stretching his hand. "I'm Sho, and this is Nino."  
  
In Japan, we don't touch people to greet them, even less when we meet someone new, but I knew it was a habit on the West. I timidly shook Alexey's hand, due to my lack of habit, and he pulled me closer to hug me with a smile. He caught me so unaware that I could only stay there, completely stiff, wondering why a stranger was touching me and what should I do. Before I could react, our guide let go of me and stretched his hand out to Nino, who he ended up hugging as well. When he let go, my boyfriend looked at me raising an eyebrow. I chuckled, among nervous and amused, and looked at the Cuban guy, who had already grabbed our suitcases and pulled them through the airport.  
  
"Follow me," he ordered in a gentle voice. "Our car is over there."  
  
Soon we found out that our guide was cheerful and talkative. He talked non-stop in an almost perfect Japanese. I asked him where he had learned our language, and that was the perfect excuse to tell us a story that went back to his childhood. Nino closed his eyes almost right away when we seated on the car, but I listened to Alexey's story and pretended to be interested out of politeness. The man was so absorbed by his own story that he hardly realized when we reached our hotel. The car stopped in the parking reserved for customers, and our guide looked out the window.  
  
"Oh, wow!" he exclaimed, surprised. "We're already here."  
  
"Looks like it," I chuckled.  
  
Alexey stared at me in silence, and then winked before leaving the car.  
  
"I'll take your suitcases," he announced in his cheerful voice.  
  
I shook my head and chuckled, thinking that our guide was quite a character. When I turned around to wake Nino up and tell him we had reached our hotel, I found he wasn't sleeping anymore. He had his arms crossed over his belly, and stared at me narrowing his eyes.  
  
"I didn't know you were awake," I smiled.  
  
Nino opened the door, and left without replying. We had spent many hours in airplanes and airports, and he always got into a bad mood when he didn't rest properly. I didn't give it another thought, and hoped out the car. Our guide was already waiting for us with our suitcases, and asked us if we wanted to go out later that night.  
  
"If you'd like, I can show you how Cuban people have fun," he offered with a mischievous smile.  
  
"We're tired," Nino was sharp.  
  
I looked at him in an attempt to ask him without words not to behave like a child, since it wasn't our guide's fault that we were exhausted after the long trip, but he didn't look back at me. He walked towards the hotel entrance, and walked in without saying a single word. I turned to Alexey, and apologized with my eyes.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up in a couple of hours, _papirriqui_?" he asked me with a charming smile.  
  
I had heard about Cuban people.  
  
Seducers by nature.  
  
"No, thanks," I smiled timidly, still feeling responsible for Nino's attitude. "I think we'll take some rest today. I'll talk to him, and I'll contact you later about the pick-up time tomorrow morning."  
  
"Okay," Alexey bowed, placing a hand on his chest.  
  
"See you tomorrow," I said, chuckling for the umpteenth time that evening.  
  
I entered the hotel and walked to the lobby, where Nino was waiting for me. He was sitting in a couch, had his arms crossed over his chest while frowning, and nervously tapped the floor with his right leg. When I approached him, he stood on his feet, and walked to the reception desk where he stopped without turning to me. I sighed and approached the desk as well, where I checked in. I glanced at my boyfriend every now and then, but he never looked back at me.  
  
After the receptionist gave me a cardboard envelope with two cards we would use to enter our room, Nino walked to the elevator and I followed him. No one else was there with us, we were the only ones waiting, so I turned around and stared at him.  
  
"What?" he protested, almost looking offended.  
  
"Are you going to talk to me at some point?"  
  
"I have nothing to say."  
  
"Can you tell me what did I do?" I frowned.  
  
"You should know."  
  
The elevator chimed, and its doors opened. Nino stepped in first, and took a glance at the keyboard. He practically ripped the envelope that contained the two cards off my hand, and opened it to check our room number.  
  
"Can you tell me what the heck is wrong with you, Nino?" I asked, annoyed.  
  
"You tell me," my boyfriend glared at me.  
  
"How am I supposed to know, if you don't tell me?"  
  
"Maybe Alexey knows."  
  
"Alexey?" I frowned, confused. "What does Alexey have to do here?"  
  
Nino shrugged.  
  
I stared at him, looking for an answer to all that absurd situation, and then I realized. I realized he was jealous. Terribly jealous. Our Cuban guide was a sweet talker; he spoke as if we had known each other for ages, he touched my arm or my hand very often, and smiled charmingly. However, I knew there wasn't any hidden intention behind those gestures.Before traveling, I always soaked up all the information I could about the place I was planning to visit; I searched on the Internet, bought books, travel guides, and even asked in forums to people who had already been there before. Everywhere they said that islanders tend to be passionate and warm people. Alexey was only behaving according to his nature. He wasn't flirting or anything similar.  
  
When I tried to explain it to Nino, the doors of the elevator opened and a couple walked in. They were tall, fair-skinned, and their hair was so blond that it almost looked platinum. Probably they didn't understand Japanese, but I chose to stay quiet. Nino restlessly watched how the numbers changed in the little screen of the elevator as we kept going up. I placed my right hand on his waist and tried to caress him, but he shook me off right away. I sighed, and decided to wait.  
  
When the elevator reached our floor and the doors opened, Nino rushed through the corridor. I followed him in silence. He used one of the cards to open the room, and placed the second one in the slot next to the door to turn the lights on. On the right side, there was a desk with a big television, several papers to request different services, and pamphlets with information on day-trips. On the left side, there was a king size bed I had chosen myself; and next to the door, there was the entrance to the bathroom. Nino threw the card he had used to open the room on the desk, together with the cardboard envelope, and turned to me.  
  
"Where are our suitcases?" he asked.  
  
"Alexey left them at the reception desk. A bellhop will bring them later."  
  
My boyfriend rolled his eyes.  
  
"Nino..." I said, walking to him.  
  
He stepped back, and raised his right hand to stop me.  
  
"Don't come any closer," he warned me.  
  
"Okay, I won't go any closer," I raised my hands so that he could see them. "But, can you listen for a moment, please?"  
  
Nino didn't reply, he only crossed his arms.  
  
"People here are different, they are more open than in Japan," I began to explain slowly. "Alexey is only trying to be nice."  
  
"Too nice," he groaned.  
  
"Come on, Nino. People in Cuba are like that."  
  
"He pays too much attention to you," he snorted. "And you don't seem to be bothered, at all."  
  
"We are his customers; he wants to please us. He hugged you at the airport as well," I reminded him, trying to placate the situation. "You slept all the way to the hotel, otherwise I'm sure he would've talked to you the same he talked to me."  
  
Nino stayed silent, but the muscles in his face started to relax.  
  
"We came here to get distracted and have fun," I said as I slowly approached him. "I don't want to fight over non-important things."  
  
"They are important," he grumbled, though he looked at me now.  
  
"You're the reason why I'm here," I smiled. "You wanted to come to Cuba, and here we are. Let's enjoy our trip. I'm sure it'll to be an unforgettable experience."  
  
Nino still had his arms crossed over his chest. I reached out, and carefully caressed his arm. Little by little, he calmed down, until he ended up throwing his arms around my waist. He rested his cheek on my chest in silence, and sighed. I stroke his hair with one hand and caressed his back with the other, waiting for him to be the one deciding if he wanted to break the silence.  
  
"I need some rest," he whispered. "I'm exhausted."  
  
"I'll get the bath ready for you."  
  
I placed a kiss on his head, and got rid of his arms to walk to the bathroom.  
  
I prepared a bath with relaxing salts that smelled like the sea. As I poured the contents of the envelope in the hot water, I remembered I didn't settle a pick-up time for the next day. The last thing I wanted at the moment was mentioning our guide and make Nino feel uneasy again, but I had no choice if we wanted to make the most of our first day.  
  
"By the way," I said in the most relaxed voice I was able to adopt. "I told our guide I'd contact him later to pick us up tomorrow. When would you like to go out?"  
  
"What time is the hotel breakfast?" asked Nino from the room.  
  
"7 to 10."  
  
"I think 9 is okay, then. I prefer not to wake up too early on the first day."  
  
Nino didn't sound angry. Maybe he was too tired.  
  
"Okay," I smiled as I finished stirring the salts.  
  
I dried my hands with a towel, and walked out the bathroom to find Nino settled down on bed, playing with his Nintendo 3DS. That explained he didn't sound angry minutes before, even when I mentioned Alexey.  
  
"Bath is ready," I announced.  
  
"Great."  
  
He left his video console aside, and stood on his feet to walk into the bathroom. As he passed by my side, I placed my arm around his waist and pulled him close to kiss his lips. Nino chuckled, and gave me a feline look before disappearing behind the door. I smirked and sat down on the bed, where I took my phone out, and looked for Alexey's phone number.

 

**sat 19/11**  
---  
  
 

 **MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 20:13  
Hello, Alexey. This is Sakurai Sho. I finally talked  
to Nino. Could you pick us up tomorrow at 9 at  
our hotel’s entrance?

  
**ALEX** \- 20:22  
Hello, Sho!

 **ALEX** \- 20:22  
Of course I can pick you up tomorrow at 9 :)

 **ALEX** \- 20:23  
Are you still planning to stay today?

 **MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 20:25  
Nino is tired  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 20:25  
See you tomorrow at 9. Thank you!

  
**ALEX** \- 20:26  
I didn’t ask about your friend, _papi_

 **ALEX** \- 20:26  
I asked about you

  
  
The next day, when we woke up, the sun was shining brightly in the sky. Nino seemed to be in a better mood after resting for more than ten hours, and I was ready to explore Havana as if it was my last day on earth. We had a big breakfast in the hotel in order to be able to endure as many hours as possible without eating, and at nine o'clock we were at the entrance where a smiling Alexey greeted us.  
  
"Good morning! How are you today?"  
  
"Looking forward to enjoy this awesome city," I happily replied.  
  
Next to me, Nino smiled in silence.  
  
"All right. Let's go!" exclaimed our guide, opening the door of the same car we rode the previous day.  
  
That day we took a complete tour around the most touristic spots in Havana. We didn't only see museums and visited landmarks; we also had a mojito in its birthplace, and finished the day dining in a restaurant that was popular for serving the best daiquiri. We were planning to have just one and go back to our hotel, but Alexey insisted we should enjoy social life in his city as well.  
  
After several daiquiris (I lost count after the third one), our guide took us to the hotel, and Nino and I could hardly wait to reach our room to start undressing each other. It was very late at night and we told Alexey to pick us up on the next day at nine again, but we didn't care. We took pleasure in each other like we hadn't done in a long time, and fell asleep in each other's arms with the first rays of sunlight.

 

**mon 21/11**  
---  
  
 

 **ALEX** \- 3:16  
See you tomorrow, _papirriqui_

 **ALEX** \- 3:16  
_Me quitas el sueño_

 

  
On Monday, when the alarm went off, none of us wanted to move. We wanted to stay in bed, embracing each other, naked, skin against skin, but we didn't have the chance to be in Cuba every day. We took the will power we didn't have, and decided to move. Nino took a shower first, so I decided to kill some time reading my texts and e-mails (I got tons of them at night due to the time difference), and discovered the texts our guide sent me the previous night. He sent them a little bit after leaving us in our hotel, but I was too busy as to pay attention to anything else than my boyfriend's body.

 

  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 7:49  
Good morning. We fell asleep right away yesterday  
night, and I didn’t see your texts until now. Did  
you need anything? I don’t understand Spanish, so  
I have no idea what you said on the second one  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 7:49  


   
**ALEX** \- 8:12  
Good morning! Everything’s OK, don’t worry

 **ALEX** \- 8:12  
The only thing I need is you, _papi_

 

When I read his reply, we were already on our way to the hotel restaurant. Since he said he didn't need anything, I didn't reply and enjoyed my breakfast with Nino. That day, Alexey took us to Saetía Cay, a nature park in the south of Cuba. We had to take an airplane to get there, but it was worth it. We enjoyed the wildlife conservation thanks to a jeep safari, and took a relaxing walk riding horses in the afternoon. When the sun wasn't that strong, we lied down on its beach of thin sand, and took a bath in its clear water. The scenery looked like the ones seen in the movies.  
  
Since we slept only a few hours, we decided to go back to the hotel around eight in the evening, and have dinner in a bar we'd seen in the surroundings. The food was delicious, the best one we tried in Cuba. When we went to our bedroom, I took a shower first, and left my cellphone on the bed. I walked out the bathroom, wearing my pajama pants and drying my hair with a small towel, when I noticed Nino glaring at me as if I had just punched him in the stomach.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.  
  
"How long have you been texting Alexey?" my boyfriend was straightforward.  
  
"What?" I didn't understand a thing. "I texted him on our first day here to settle the pick-up time in the morning, that's all."  
  
"Why is he asking you to secretly go out with him tonight, then?"  
  
I stared at him in silence, feeling confused, but then I realized my phone was resting next to him on the bed. It was locked, but notifications of incoming texts showed up on the screen. I clicked my tongue, and grabbed my phone to unlock it and see what I got.

 

  
**ALEX** \- 22:02  
Is your friend asleep yet?

 **ALEX** \- 8:12  
If you want to, I can take you to a famous bar  
where they play Cuban and Caribbean music

 

  
"I don't see what's wrong with these texts," I said, throwing my phone back on the bed. "He knows you don't like to go out at night or come back to the hotel too late. There's no further intention."  
  
Nino didn't say a thing, he just raised an eyebrow.  
  
I frowned.  
  
"If you don't believe me, you can check all the conversations we had."  
  
I opened Alexey's chat, and offered my phone to Nino. He looked at me as if I were suggesting something ridiculous. He shook his head, and stood up.  
  
"Don't look at me as if I were the one who is talking nonsense," I complained, still with my phone in my hand. "You're the one who doesn't trust me, and the one who has been checking my texts."  
  
Nino searched inside his bag in silence until he found his pack of cigarettes. He looked at me once again with those eyes that reflected pain and disappointment, and left the room without saying a word. I clicked my tongue, still frowning, and locked my phone without replying to our guide.  
  
What the hell was wrong with Nino? He never behaved like an obsessive, jealous person before. Our guide only tried to be friendly. He took many liberties, that's true, but during our two days in the island we could see the information I got in Tokyo was right; Cuban people were open and friendly. Sometimes they were even kind of intrusive, so I wasn't surprised that Alexey insisted on hanging out with me at night. I couldn't believe Nino thought I was being disloyal. Never, since I started my relationship with him, had even thought about being with another guy. I didn't want any other. I was sure I only wanted him, and thought he was just as sure.  
  
I went to bed and waited for him with the lights on, but I fell asleep at some point. When I opened my eyes, the lights were off, and Nino was resting by my side. His back was facing me. I sighed, wondering what time it could be, and turned around to check it on my phone. Just then, the alarm went off. Seven thirty in the morning. The time we woke up every day so that we had time to take a shower, and have breakfast before meeting up with our guide.  
  
"I didn't check your texts," Nino's voice sounded hoarse and dull.  
  
I turned to him. His back was still facing me.  
  
"It doesn't matter," I honestly replied.  
  
"Yes, it does matter. I may be insecure, but I would never do something like that."  
  
"Look at me," I asked him.  
  
He didn't move.  
  
"Nino, look at me. Please."  
  
My boyfriend turned around slowly, and even in the semi-darkness of the room I could see he was looking at me with sad eyes. My soul broke into a thousand pieces. I couldn't stand him being sad because of me. Even when it was because of something that never happened, his sad eyes were shattering my insides.  
  
"Why do you do this to yourself?" I asked him in a tiny voice. "Why do you still think no one will ever love you enough?"  
  
"I know you love me," he corrected me. "But, look at you, Sho. You're handsome even to the Cuban guys. You're responsible, funny, intelligent, and you have the cutest smile in the world. I'm afraid that someday you may find someone who fills your heart more than I do, because I'm never going to find anyone who fills my heart like you do. Even when you were nothing but a stranger, a name that appeared one day among my chats, I already knew you were different. I knew I'd never known anyone like you."  
  
"I guess there isn't another idiot like me, who ends up falling in love with a person they have never seen," I chuckled, trying to play it down.  
  
However, Nino didn't laugh.  
  
"Don't worry about the texts, okay?" I asked him. "It's unavoidable to read the notifications of a phone near you. Everyone takes a peek. Also, I really don't care if you read my texts because I'm not hiding anything. You're my partner. You know absolutely everything about me."  
  
"I only read them because I saw they came from Alexey. I thought something was up, and then I stared at the screen, without even noticing."  
  
I reached out, and caressed his cheek.  
  
"It's okay," I whispered. "Really."  
  
"No, it's not okay. I'm too possessive."  
  
"You are not. Don't you think I'm not afraid to lose you too."  
  
Nino's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Did you think I didn't have my doubts?" I chuckled at his reaction. "Of course I have them. Many nights I can't sleep thinking what would I do if some day you decided to leave me."  
  
"Find someone else."  
  
"The problem is that I don't want someone else," I whispered. "I love you."  
  
Nino wrinkled his nose.  
  
"I love you too. But go brush your teeth, please."  
  
I cracked up.  
  
Only Nino could say something like that in that kind of situation. Only he could make me crack up in such a tense and awkward moment. I held his face in my hands, and gently kissed his lips. He was the one who was different. So unique that he made me feel special just having him by my side.  
  
On our third day in Cuba we went on another day-trip, but our guide didn't take us as far as the previous day. We went by car to Yumurí Valley where we rode a jeep through a tour of 150 kilometers, visited the beautiful Saturn Cave, and did some snorkeling at Coral Beach. After lunch, our guide took us to visit Monserrate's mountain, where there was a stunning chapel, and finally we could enjoy a tour on boat through Canímar river.  
  
At the end of the day, we were exhausted. We had so much fun that our jaws were in pain because of so much laughter, and when we went back to our hotel Nino was more affectionate than ever. After taking a shower and smelling good again, we lied on bed and showered each other with all kind of caresses and kisses, until we fell asleep in each other's arms.  
  
I loved Nino. I wanted to take care of him, to lock him away, and protect him from the world that had hurt him so much. Nino was shameless, a ranter, and sometimes moody, but he was as fragile as the thinnest glass. If he broke down, I broke down with him. I couldn't stand watching him suffering.  
  
We spent our last day in Cuba relaxing at the beach. When I saw that Alexey took us again to the airport, I thought he had prepared another day full of events, but he soon told me that it'd be just a relaxing day as we asked him. We reached Pilar beach around eleven in the morning, and both Nino and I were astonished; the clear waters of the Caribbean Sea greeted us, merging with the sand in small waves, and the thin and white sand invited us to step on it. We spent the morning sunbathing on a pair of deck chairs we rented, and when we felt the sun burning our skins we dived in those waters that looked like the ones featured in magazines. We enjoyed an almuerzo marinero in Ranchón Pilar Beach, and after lunch, we took a bus to Guillermo Cay's dolphinarium, where we could swim with dolphins. Nino didn't stop smiling, and I smiled with him. I prepared that trip thinking about him, so that he could disconnect from the life he had in Japan and be happy. Seeing him happy made me happy.  
  
Cuba wouldn't be that special without Nino by my side.  
  
Since we were back in Havana when the sun was still hiding, and it was our last day there, I asked Alexey to take us to that famous bar he knew after dinner. The one where they played Cuban and Caribbean music. Nino and I had dinner together, but I invited our guide to stay with us when we reached the bar.  
  
"Did he have to come with us?" Nino complained when Alexey went to the toilet.  
  
"Not really," I smiled. "But I thought it was rude not to invite him when he was the one who brought us here. Don't you like this place?"  
  
"I'd like it best if he wasn't here," he grumbled, taking a sip of his mojito.  
  
I couldn't help but laugh. Nino was too cute when he got into a mood.  
  
"It's our last night," I said, caressing his back. "Let's have fun."  
  
"Because it's our last night here we should be alone."  
  
I ran my hand down his back to his waist, and grabbed his hand, pulling him along with me.  
  
"Come, let's dance," I invited him.  
  
Nino left his mojito on the table, completely caught by surprise, and allowed me to guide him to the dancing floor. There I gently placed my hands on his waist, and started to sway with the rhythm of the music, moving Nino with me.  
  
"I dislike dancing," he complained.  
  
I slowly moved closer to him, and shut him up with a kiss as I grabbed his arms and placed them around my neck. Nino didn't say a word. He kissed me back and tightened the grip around my neck, playing with the hair on my nape. He knew it drove me crazy. I bit his lower lip and stuck my body to his, rubbing against him.  
  
"Better like this?" I whispered.  
  
A smirk appeared on his lips.  
  
"Much better," he replied. "But it could be even better."  
  
"How? You know you only have to ask, and I'll do it."  
  
Nino leaned in close to my ear, and slowly bit my earlobe, making me sigh.  
  
"Take me to the hotel and rip my clothes off," he whispered.  
  
I swallowed to hold back a moan.  
  
"Give me just a second," I asked, kissing him again. "Go out. I'll meet you at the entrance in five minutes."  
  
My boyfriend chuckled, and kissed me once again before releasing me. He turned around with a suggestive look on his face, and slowly walked to the exit. At that point, I didn't know if I would be able to wait until we reached the hotel to rip his clothes off. I searched for our guide around the bar to let him know we were leaving. I found him sitting down at the bar, stirring an already finished mojito with a straw.  
  
"Alexey," I called out.  
  
He turned around, and smiled when he saw me.  
  
" _Papi_! Where did you go? I've been looking for you."  
  
"Sorry we suddenly disappeared," I pointed to the dancing floor. "We were dancing, but we're already leaving to the hotel. We're tired, and we have to wake up early tomorrow to go to the airport."  
  
"Don't leave, _papi_. Stay a little bit longer," he looked at me from top to bottom. "We hardly talked, and you're leaving tomorrow."  
  
I chuckled, feeling a little awkward.  
  
"Thanks for bringing us here, and for being our guide these days. Here," I took the few Cuban pesos I had left out of my pocket, and handed them to him. "We don't need them anymore. Drink a mojito for me."  
  
"Ay, _papirriqui_ " he said in a sweet voice. "Stop pretending. I noticed you're as glad to see me as I am to see you."  
  
Alexey placed his hand on my crotch, and squeezed it. It was then when I realized Nino wasn't seeing things. Our guide didn't behave like the rest of Cuban people did. He'd been flirting during the whole trip, and I didn't even realize it.  
  
I frowned, and sharply moved his hand away.  
  
"You've got this wrong," I told him.  
  
He opened his eyes in surprise.  
  
" _Papi_... I thought you..."  
  
"You're wrong," I cut him off. "Whatever you thought, you're wrong. I didn't come to Cuba looking for a lover. I came to help my partner taking a breath."  
  
"I didn't know you were a couple," the Cuban guy sounded honest.  
  
I nodded, trying to be understanding, and sighed.  
  
"All right," I said. "It's okay."  
  
"I'm very sorry. I didn't want to make you feel awkward."  
  
"It's alright," I sighed again. "Can you pick us up tomorrow at 7?"  
  
"Sure, _papi_."  
  
"Good," I nervously scratched my nape. "See you tomorrow, then."  
  
"Have a good night," he smiled.  
  
I said goodbye to Alexey, and made my way out among people who drank and danced at the rhythm of Caribbean music. I left the place to meet Nino and go back to the hotel together. I was dying to do it. However, my boyfriend wasn't there. I looked for him in the surroundings for several minutes, I even waited at the entrance for a while just in case he went inside to look for me or he needed to use the toilet, but there was no trace of him anywhere. I started to get worried. What if something happened to him while I was talking to our guide? I shouldn't have left him alone when we didn't have a way to communicate with each other, since our cellphones didn't work in Cuba without Internet connection.  
  
I went back into the bar, and looked for Alexey almost in desperation. I found him at the bar again, on the same spot he was before, and told him what happened. He called our hotel from his phone, but Nino wasn't there, and then he called the police, but they didn't know anything either. We decided to leave the bar, take a taxi, and go through the central streets of Havana looking for him. It was getting late, there were more and more closed places, and less and less people on the streets. I had lost my cool hours ago and, after several rounds, I was starting to know Havana by heart. Alexey insisted on going to a police station and place a formal report, but I knew that not enough hours had passed to report someone missing yet. They would say they couldn't do anything until some days passed, and I didn't have those days to wait. I needed to know right away where Nino was or I would go crazy.  
  
It was then when I had a flash of genius.  
  
"The pier!" I exclaimed out loud.  
  
"The pier?" Alexey asked. "What's with the pier?"  
  
"Nino loved it when we visited it on the first day. He also loved the day-trips, but he wouldn't stop talking about how amazing the pier is," I looked at our guide. "I've got the feeling he's there."  
  
"At the pier?!" he exclaimed bewildered.  
  
I nodded, and asked the taxi driver to take us there.  
  
The way to the pier felt never-ending.  
  
They were the longest five minutes of my life.  
  
I stuck to the window, and asked the taxi driver to go through the whole pier. When I was about to give up and start yelling in desperation, a small light caught my attention. It was brief, it disappeared in less than two seconds, but it lasted enough to give me hope.  
  
"Stop," I told the taxi driver.  
  
"Did you see him?" Alexey asked me.  
  
I shook my head, and pointed out to the point where I'd seen the light.  
  
"I've seen something over there."  
  
Alexey leaned in to see through my window.  
  
"I don't see anything."  
  
The small light lit up and faded again.  
  
"Did you see it?" I turned to our guide.  
  
"I did!" he exclaimed with wide eyes. "It's the light of a cigarette."  
  
A cigarette.  
  
Nino smoked.  
  
I opened the door and rushed out the taxi, not even thinking what I was doing. I watched that light lighting up and fading several times, as I approached the point it came from. Little by little, a human silhouette sitting by the edge of the seawall became clear. I run faster and faster, desperate to reach him. Desperate to see he was real. Desperate to see he was fine.  
  
"Nino!" I called out.  
  
He didn't reply.  
  
"NINO!!" I called out again, louder.  
  
A small silhouette looked at me with a cigarette on its hand. When I was close enough, I could see it was a young guy smoking while he fished. It wasn't Nino. I apologized as I could in English, trying to control my nerves, but I couldn't take it anymore. It was very late, and my boyfriend didn't appear. I hadn't walked more than a few meters of the way back to the taxi when I crouched down, and broke down like a child. I had managed to hold back my tears during the whole night, but I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't have any more places to look for him. I ran out of options. My boyfriend was missing in Cuba, far away from home, far away from our families, far away from our friends.  
  
"I'm here," Nino's weak voice reached my ears.  
  
I looked up and saw him standing in front of me, staring at me with absent eyes.  
  
I almost jumped up, and hugged him. I hugged him as if I didn't see him in years. I clung to him as if my life depended on it. I squeezed him against me so tight that his bones hammered on mine. I cried against his neck like an abandoned child, and thanked whoever for finding him.  
  
"You're going to leave me," he said.  
  
I stopped crying, and moved a little away to take a look at his face.  
  
It wasn't one of his jokes. His eyes didn't sparkle, and he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at the floor. His chin was shaking, as if he was doing a great effort to hold back his tears. His arms hung at both sides of his body; he didn't hug me back.  
  
"What?" I frowned, confused.  
  
"Alexey is waiting for you in the taxi. I saw him."  
  
I glanced at the taxi, stopped a few meters away, and Alexey, leaning on it.  
  
"No," I focused back on Nino. "He came with me to look for you. When I left the bar, you weren't at the entrance. I looked for you and waited for you, and ended up going back inside out of desperation. I didn't know what to do, and he helped me out."  
  
Nino nodded in silence, his gaze still fixed on the floor.  
  
"I was so worried," I said, hugging him again, though a little softer this time. "Why didn't you wait for me? If you wanted to come here, we could've come together."  
  
My boyfriend sighed so deeply that I froze.  
  
"Leave, please," he whispered. "Leave now."  
  
I moved away, and looked him in the eyes.  
  
"I'm not leaving without you."  
  
"I'm not riding a taxi with you and Alexey, if that's what you're trying to suggest," he angrily replied. "That's just what I needed."  
  
"Why not?" I sighed. "If it's because you're still jealous, we can take a different taxi. I don't mind. You should be a little thankful, though."  
  
Nino looked up, and looked at me for the first time since I found him.  
  
"You can stop pretending. I saw you two together at the bar."  
  
His cold voice broke my heart in a million pieces.  
  
"We weren't together at the bar," I denied right away.  
  
"I saw him touching you, and you didn't move away."  
  
"I..." I was so frustrated that I became speechless. "It's not like that..."  
  
"Come on, Sho" Nino crossed his arms. "He's been flirting the whole trip."  
  
"But I... I don't..." I mussed up my hair. "I swear I didn't realize until tonight. That's why I didn't move when he touched me; he caught me completely off guard. I already talked to him. He didn't know we're a couple."  
  
Nino blinked, astonished.  
  
"You have to believe me," I begged. "Please."  
  
"He didn't... He didn't know we were together?"  
  
"We are together," I corrected him.  
  
"Nothing happened at the bar?"  
  
"I only treated him to a mojito with the pesos I had left."  
  
"Then..." Nino looked puzzled. "You're not going to leave me?"  
  
"Not for all the Cubans in Cuba."  
  
"All the Cubans in Cuba are a lot of them," he warned me.  
  
"I know, and I don't care," I assured. "I only want you."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Good?"  
  
Nino nodded.  
  
"I wouldn't like to tell Ohno you changed me for a Cuban guy during our trip," he explained. "He looks sweet and innocent, but he's scary when he gets mad."  
  
I couldn't help but laugh.  
  
Nino was back.  
  
"I wouldn't like to win his hatred," I said, as seriously as I could manage.  
  
"I bet you don't."  
  
I placed my arms around his waist, and pulled him closer to kiss his lips. It was the best kiss of my life. After thinking I wouldn't see him anymore, I experienced every feeling as if it were the first time. When he took my face in his hands to deepen the kiss, my legs trembled, and I had to sit down on the edge of the seawall in order not to collapse. Nino followed me without moving his lips away from mine, and straddled me. Alexey understood it was time to leave us alone, and went home in the same taxi that took us to the pier. I told him I would pay for everything on the next day, when he came to take us to the airport.  
  
That night we kissed each other sitting on the seawall until our lips were swollen, and then we took a taxi to the hotel. When we arrived, we continued kissing in the elevator, and tangled our bodies the moment we reached our room. There was passion, desperation, need for the other. It was as if we didn't have enough, as much as we kissed and caressed each other. Not even the light of daybreak stopped us.  
  
Alexey picked us up at the settled time, and took us to the airport where we said goodbye. Nino still wasn't friendly to him, but at least he said goodbye cordially and thanked him for helping me finding him on the previous day. We fell asleep the moment we caught the airplane. I don't know if Nino woke up at some point, but I didn't until we landed in Canada. When we caught our second plane, it didn't take me long to fall asleep again. Usually, it's hard for me to sleep on airplanes, but I was completely exhausted after spending the last night in Havana without any sleep.  
  
We arrived in Tokyo on Friday afternoon. Nino had a performance on Saturday evening (his manager literally gave him a free week), but we decided to spend the night at my home. We weren't ready to leave the other just yet. Actually, Nino ended up staying at my place the whole weekend, until we didn't have other choice than accepting going back to our lives on Sunday night.

 

**sun 27/11**  
---  
  
 

 **MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:31  
Cuba couldn’t get a better ending  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:31  
I already miss you

  
**GAMER N™** \- 22:38  
You can’t live without me

 **GAMER N™** \- 22:38  


  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:39  
You know well, my Wrong Number  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:40  
;)

   
**GAMER N™** \- 22:40  


  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:41  
Wait  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:41  
How comes you didn’t complain?

  
**GAMER N™** \- 22:41  
Being a wrong number is not that bad

 **GAMER N™** \- 22:42  
Sometimes, a wrong number can lead  
you to the right person

 **GAMER N™** \- 22:42  
_Papi_

  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:43  
You’re back to being an idiot  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:44  
That means the Cuba trip worked  
  
**MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE** \- 22:44  



End file.
